The beginner’s guide to magnetic lashes
Are they actually easier to apply than regular fake lashes?
It wasn’t too long ago when magnetic lashes hit the beauty scene. Promising similar results to regular fake lashes, minus the mess and fuss associated with the application, it was a beauty innovation that had many clambering to get their hands on a pair.
But do they live up to the hype? Well, as someone who is pretty clumsy when it comes to fake lash application (glue ends up on my entire lid nine times out of 10), I’ve been game to put a pair of magnetic lashes to the test for a while. And instead of experimenting with the lashes all on my own, I thought that given there’d be many more out there curious about how they work, how to apply magnetic false lashes, and if they’re the real deal, I’d document my experience.
So here’s what happened when I tried magnetic lashes.
The toolkit
You’ll of course need some magnetic false lashes. My eyes are quite small and I have hooded eyes, so I can’t really wear a full or heavy set of lashes, so I used the Ardell Magnetic Accents in 001 for a natural finish (an accent lash is usually about half the length of a regular lash strip and sits at the outer corner of your eye). You can also get the magnetic accents in a heavier look, or there are a few full lash strip options from Ardell, too. ModelCo also has accent and full magnetic lash strips if you’re shopping around for options.
And then some optional items to use are a liquid liner (I used Garbo & Kelly Femme Fatale Dual Liner in Brown) and a lash applicator if you need a hand getting right into your lash line. I went tool-free, but if you need some help getting your lashes closer to the lash line, we recommend the ModelCo False Eyelash Applicator.
1
Line your top lash line
What does a liquid liner have to do with magnetic lash application? Well, nothing. BUT it can help hide any tell-tale signs that you’re wearing fake lashes. The line created with a liquid liner works almost like a guide of where to aim for your lash application, and will help the lash band blend in with the rest of your eye makeup. If you don’t want your eye makeup to look too heavy, you can use a brown liquid liner like I did. The depth of colour of the brown still works to hide the lash band, but doesn’t give as much intensity to your eye look as a black liquid liner.
2
Separate the lashes
Unlike regular falsies, each magnetic lash strip is actually made up of two lash strips that are connected by a magnetic force (hence the name). The way they work is to essentially sandwich your natural lashes between the two lash strips - each band has small magnets along its length. You’ll need to separate the lashes for application: rather than peeling them apart, with both hands, use your thumb and forefinger to slide the lashes apart (making sure the lashes are curving away from you). Hold on to the lash that’s sitting on top (this is the one you’ll apply above your lashes) and place the bottom lash (the one that was underneath) on a clean surface.
3
Apply the upper magnetic lash
This is where things get interesting. Start with the upper lash and place it above your top lash line in the position you want your lash to sit (so for an accent like this one, you place it on the outer corner of your eye). Now the trick is to get it as close to your lash line as humanly possible. Not necessarily easy, but if you use your natural lashes as a ‘shelf’, it can help hold the magnetic lash in place. My advice is to apply your mascara before you go in with the lashes, as this can help make your ‘shelf’ a bit stronger to hold up the strip.
Because there is no glue to secure the lash to your lash line, you kind of have to move slowly and hope for the best that it doesn’t budge as you move onto the next step. Hint: Once it’s in place, try not to look down!
4
Apply the bottom magnetic lash
Once you feel like your top lash is in position, you’ll need to manoeuvre to get the bottom lash underneath your natural lash to meet up with it and let the magnetics catch each other to secure the lash.
I’ll be honest, this was the trickiest part of the application process. Every time I tried to inch the bottom lash towards the lash line, it would catch the magnets from the top one and secure the lash strip somewhere in the middle of my lashes. I found that the best technique to get right in there was to dip my head back, open my eye wide to give myself more room and come from underneath.
Before and after magnetic lashes
After a few tries (to remove magnetic lashes, you just use that same sliding trick as before), I finally got it to sit where I needed it to. As you can see it gives a really nice natural lift and flutter to my lashes.
The final look
Once one eye was done, it was time to repeat it on the other – same process. Again, lining it up on the top line wasn’t too tricky, it was coming in at the bottom that caught me out. But after a few attempts I came out successful. This is how both magnetic lashes look once properly applied.
My magnetic eyelashes review
I loved the look the Ardell Accents gave my eyes – they enhance my almond-shaped eyes without being too heavy or hectic for my lids. Was the application easier than regular lashes? Yes and no. It was still a pretty finicky process. The lining up, the precision, the need to re-try the application – they were all still there. But I did like that there was no messiness with glue and I was more persistent with these than I would ever be (or have been) with a regular set of false lashes. I loved the result, so I would definitely (and will!) use these ones again. I think if you’ve struggled with fake lashes before, you may find the magnetic ones a bit easier, but be warned you still will need patience on your side!
Want to perfect your technique for applying falsies? Here are 6 must-read tips for perfecting your fake eyelash application
Have you tried magnetic lashes yet? What did you think? Please share with us in the comments section below!
Main and inset image credit: Sevak Babakhani
